Telegram-herald., 1887-09-01
ARTICLE NUMBER Z.
MORE AsoUr The SOLDIERS Hohs
ssrgs.nt Dsseaport Gsttinx De~s ~
businssr Tns Ho1as E<sshlish.a fos
Partisan furpeses TIE Lssxts-
i.iiss Invvstsssfiez-

naztter that should hsvs been considered in
that paper. / refer 10 tne ''r0t" that has been
going the rounds 0f the Stsis press TO the
effect that the Grand Rapids papers had done
great injury 10 the Soldiers Homes best
Interests by the freedom OF their comm ents
touching the management thereof and by
the lo4nlng OF their columns - any Of the
old inmates who had q grievance 10 CON-
plain Of OF a wrong 10 redress They also
20 on 20 tell as thar the legislative lnyesti-
CATION bad disprOved every charge made ia
these faPsrs ana 30 on sd-innnitUm sc-nau-
scum. Rata. A very little o. that sort OF
"rot' will be all that any intelligent man
who was an inmate al the tiHe Will need OF
such s,ufi and nellOR.
1 nlysof-through Representative Kill
lean--oflered that committee pointers and
evidence which they smothesed or ignored
Press me into . corner some of you wise
and innocent fellows--you won't have 10
push very hard-snd see II l don't prove to
the public that 30 called thorough and
Impartial investigation was a fraud. a hood
wink and a whltewash." Not II YOU will,
but If you dare gentlemenl | mean bust
ness and | challenge you 10 come 10 the
centre and put up or shnt up.
do not mean 10 say that all of those
know that many of them were and that If
that committee had honestly and earnestly
pressed their inquiries as they should have
done, that developments would have been
made that would have given very differ
en- complexion TO the report of that COM
mittee.
Nnat would We have We little whipper
snappers that can only growl after the fact
ana snari at the heels of your betters?
Would you have the press of this city
blind that they see not, deaf that thsy
bear not" and drunk that they hear not, OF
a den OF iniquities because forsooth il may
happen to be located at this city7 Out upon
We you towards and tell me how else than
by plain speaking there is likely 10 be
righting OF wrong and redress OF griev-
ances. Is il by mangling the flesh and
shutting our eyes. our ear, our mouth and
our understanding that truth aud justice is
TO triumph? Go TO We fswners and cringers
and truckers TO the power OF plsce Such
| doctrines - you advance are the very shibo-
leth OF tyrants and the procureses Of the
downfall Of liberty.
BE not cast down therefore" oh
We editors OF Grand Rapids, for
/ assure you that we already have evidence
that the little squibs we have given the
public nave brought forth fruits meet for
repentance" How? / will tell you later
| In the meantime / wish that these outside
| editorial wiseacres would discover and tell
us how they would right wrongs by letting
them alone? Does our experience teach us
that our public officials are SO immaculate
| that like the King they can do no wrong?
| Have our public institutions known no
| frauds. no thieves, no tyrsnts? And are the
| acts of the management of the Michigan Sol
| dier's Home TO be 1.-THE law and the gospel"
to as and without questions! Shame on We
| towards and sneaks that We are while | re-
| joice in the fact that there is at least one
paper in Grand Rapids to whom the poor,
| the weak and the wronged shall not appeal
in vain for helper 10 right his wrongs and
redress his grievances.
Let who will deride and belle the press
| in this matter, We will prove that-and oh.
how thankful | am that l am able 10 state
| this simple trufh-the press is the greatest
| and the surest moral reformer of the age.
| Without 1t. be my cause ever so Just, |
| should be powerless in this nv struggle for
the right, and these fellows with more OF
| bowels than of brains would SIT upon and
| crush me. and then these Shylocks and
| sharks, through their ready henchmen,
| would point to me as living monument OF
| the folly of poor fellows questioning the
| policies OF the powers that be.
With 1.-THE press-I shall be able TO do
| valiant battles in the cause of my poor out
ragged comrades in the cause OF liberty,
Justice and truth. Thanks. thanks TO We.
oh mighty press. which comes TO our aid
when both God and man seemed TO have
forsaken US.
give as one of the many reasons why the
Michigan Soldiers Home is badly man
aged institution. the opinion that il was
erected 10 ill present party necessity and
for future political purposes. In evidence
of this, ! cite the fact that there was st that
time DO general demand for anything OF
this kind by those people who were sup.
posed 10 pe the beneficiaries. Indeed
would be warranted in saving that not ten
per cent OF the old soldiers ever wished
for such benefaction. Any desire or ex.
pectstion Of any kind OF a pension ever Wa.
unexprsssed and the only real demsnd up.
on that Legislature was for 40 equalization
| of bounties.
Why, then, was this House" law passed
that no one asked for OF expectedY ln nv
humble Judgment it was TO make places for
worn out political hacks and party henCh.
men, aud fully believe that II was mainly
supported by men OF both parties who
thought OF no higher patriotism than fe
| fll the party pocket at the expense Of th.
State purse. DO not the existing facts 70
to show the truth OF my pToposstion7 II
| not the entire management q partisan Que
| and have not the old inmates been bough
| and coaIe0 and bulldozed BY having III.
terrOrs ofs discharge beld over them 70 in
| duce them 20 vote partisan ticket
The accredited agents Of the management
also worked upon the selfish interests o
the illiteTsse and feeble-minded By tellin,
them that If an opposition Jsgislstur
were elected that supplies would be stop
J ped because no appropriations would 5,
made. These are iscts and known 4
scores Of inmates Of al political parties
r do not say. neither do I believe that I
change Of party would 10 ao improvement
, in this respect. ! 90 believe however.
non-paftissn board should rnls in o. insti
tuition where there are 50 rssBy politics
slsIaents and.fhsi 20 The want of this is 20 b
attrionted much of the bad rnsnags
msnt II live an investigation
uren these points Besides sil this from
my long experience II is ny deliberate con
vicaon That II the tFusst and 9ezrest inter
. esf Of TIE Invalid soldier nas the 5esire
end If the sct that the Michigan Soldiers
Home ecf IS failure. becauss under tn
plan II taxes forfv-feur 6oisrs q ~
states money % convey one 70 TIE fnvsii
! soldier. This Is fscf THAI ! have ae6ocs
hy far snd Impartial eetinasfioBs bv know
| quantities. ana very DesYiy spp.roriraste
the truth According 70 these fgares u
cost p~r month 70 the stste foT @ssh inussi
= f17T7. snd TIE sFnoBnt thsf Il vouis -
! 70 I'VE The inmates 81 fr.p6 . sopgort IA hi
ozn bore ~oald hs 49,. 4 esd show
in9. il seeras - me. from fEenessi stsnd
= / por fsf ssste isxestnenfs
: Nov e Fsy mind tie astssion resoivs
: ifsef q this weuld j. not be better r. sis
} / fhe dsservinE sn< neef7 invslio one bslf
his present cost = the # - ssF tlz 2.
ucrth and ist lf b * z.e6 ~ his az
{ f17ee he'd OF sFnosg hls Kindred
; friencs. II this wsy FcR woSiS 2,
ssrsrst@ - father fram his eksisrsn Z